AS long ago as 1908, a travel writer described the Milford Track as 'the finest walk in the world'. It has stuck ever since.
The first tourists pioneered this trail through New Zealand's spectacular, southern Fiordland in 1889 with the men who cut it, Quintin Mackinnon and Donald Sutherland.
Today, the same trail takes the adventurous in the footsteps of many notable pioneers, including Maori natives who came here in search of greenstone, and the scenery has hardly changed.
So treasured is the Milford Track that is has been listed as a World Heritage area and only 40 passes are issued a day to 'trampers' who set out along it. The restriction ensures everyone an unforgettable experience in the wilderness.
The walk is something any fit person can complete and the rewards are many. It is a four day-three night back-to-nature adventure. Walkers cover 15 to 20 kilometres a day carrying their own food, cooking utensils and sleeping bags, sometimes over rocky surfaces with climbs and descents.
Accommodation is in three Department of Conservation huts along the trail where 'trampers' sleep in communal bunk rooms. No camping is allowed.
Getting to the start of the trail from Queenstown, the closest city, involves a boat trip on Lake Te Anau. Then the trail follows the crystal-clear Clinton River, with its trout pools and shady, tree-lined banks.
